Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent

Early the next morning, everyone found Zhao Wuji waiting for them on the training ground.

When Zhao Wuji saw Bai Ge, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and his expression inexplicably stiffened. "Everyone's here. Let's go. Mu Bai, lead the team."

Zhao Wuji had originally planned to make everyone run there, but the plan fell through again when Bai Ge paid to hire carriages.

Flander might have been stingy, but he had nothing to say when Bai Ge was spending his own money.

Zhao Wuji had even less to say.

Ever since Bai Ge had come to Shrek, his authority as the academy's dean had vanished without a trace.

Likewise, in the town near the Star Dou Great Forest, Bai Ge had paid to treat everyone to the best hotel.

Thus, they avoided the matter with Canghui Academy.

Bai Ge was quite pleased about that. Not being afraid of trouble did not mean looking for it when there was none.

The night passed without incident. At dawn the next morning, while the sky was still barely light, Zhao Wuji woke everyone with his booming voice.

Tang San did not mind. He rose early every day and had long developed a good routine, but it was rather painful for the others, especially sleepyheads like Oscar. As a result, most of them were still groggy while eating breakfast.

The sun slowly rose in the east, gradually spreading that faint fish-belly white across the sky as daylight began to break.

Although Tang San saw this sight every day, no matter how many times it repeated, the emergence of light still stirred his heart. The sun's radiance drove away the darkness, signifying the arrival of a new day.

Once they left the town, everyone picked up their pace. They were already very close to the Star Dou Great Forest, and as they hurried onward at full speed, Oscar was naturally the most excited. He was about to obtain his third Spirit Ring, and he desperately wanted to know what kind of enhancement it would bring him.

He knew that without needing his reminder, Zhao Wuji would definitely lead them to hunt at least a thousand-year Spirit Beast for him.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay directly south of the Heaven Dou Empire. The forest spanned both great empires, and because it was home to countless Spirit Beasts, this was also where the border between the two nations was least clearly defined.

Judging from the map, most of the Star Dou Great Forest lay within the Star Luo Empire, though the Heaven Dou Empire had never acknowledged that.

As one of the three great wild Spirit Beast habitats, it was naturally a place Spirit Masters most hoped to visit.

Because every visit here meant they were about to advance.

No one could say how many years the Star Dou Great Forest had existed on the Douluo Continent, but once one entered the forest, its dense canopy that blotted out the sky and sun was enough to reveal its ancient age.

Zhao Wuji looked sternly at the eight students, Bai Ge included. "Listen carefully. The Star Dou Great Forest is not one of those places where the state raises Spirit Beasts in captivity.

"The Spirit Beasts here are all exceedingly dangerous. At any moment, you may face attacks from thousand-year, or even ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts.

"Therefore, once we enter the forest, none of you are to move more than twenty meters away from me.

"Ning Rongrong, Oscar, the two of you must stay especially close to me.

"Without my orders, no one is to attack a Spirit Beast lightly. Do you understand?"

The group advanced through the forest for roughly two hours. Near noon, Zhao Wuji ordered them to rest.

Xiao Wu leaned against Tang San's shoulder, looking somewhat listless, but when Tang San asked her about it, she only shook her head and said she was fine.

After a while, Zhao Wuji and Tang San suddenly looked in the same direction.

"Get up. Something's coming," Zhao Wuji barked.

Everyone rose to their feet and went on guard at once. A rustling sound drew closer and closer to their ears.

"Zhu Zhuqing, go take a look."

Zhao Wuji spoke in a low voice.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded. With a flicker of her body, she leaped onto the treetops and looked toward the source of the sound.

Very soon, Zhu Zhuqing's cool voice rang out. "A flying snake. It has a fleshy crest on its head and a fan-shaped tail."

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up. "A Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent?

"Zhu Zhuqing, keep an eye on its direction. If its age is suitable, Oscar will be in luck."

Tang San asked, "How long is it? What color are its wings?"

"Between six and eight meters long. Its wings are pale red."

Tang San said excitedly, "Between thirteen hundred and fifteen hundred years old. It's just right."

Oscar asked eagerly, "What kind of Spirit Beast is a Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent? What type of spirit skill can it give me?"

"The Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent is incredibly fast. Its crest contains nutrients that can give it another burst of speed at critical moments, so the spirit skill it gives you should be related to speed."

Oscar rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Good. Then it'll be my third Spirit Ring."

Zhao Wuji laughed heartily. "Good, then I..."

However, Zhao Wuji suddenly seemed to recall something. Stroking his chin, he said, "I've decided. You'll handle this Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent yourselves."

Then, seeing Oscar's anxious expression, he added, "Don't worry. I'll step in at the crucial moment and won't let it escape. But..."

Zhao Wuji chuckled. "If your performance doesn't satisfy me, all of you will be getting practical combat lessons when we get back."

Before Zhao Wuji could finish speaking, Bai Ge had already vanished. A few breaths later, Bai Ge returned, gripping the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent by its vital point.

By then, the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent had already fainted.

Bai Ge tossed the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent in front of Oscar. "Oscar, do it. Stab your sword into the fleshy crest on its head. That will destroy its brain!"

Hearing that, Oscar gripped his short sword and quickly ran to its head, preparing to plunge the blade viciously into its crest.

"Stop!"

A hoarse voice rang out, followed by two figures shooting from the nearby brush.

One was old and one was young, both women. The elder appeared to be around sixty or seventy, but her eyes were sharp and she was full of vigor. She held a serpent-headed cane, while six Spirit Rings rose and fell around her body.

Beside the old woman stood a beautiful young girl of sixteen or seventeen. She too held a serpent-headed cane, and two hundred-year Spirit Rings hovered around her body.

The group looked displeased at the two uninvited guests. Zhao Wuji said blandly, "Is there something you need?"

Then seven Spirit Rings slowly rose beneath his feet.

The old woman's expression changed. Then she said gently, "Hello, honored Soul Saint. Could you give this Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent to this child?"

"Why?"

The old woman smiled and pointed at the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent's abdomen. "Because we discovered this snake first. I intended to make it my granddaughter's third Spirit Ring, and there are wounds on its abdomen that I left just now. Otherwise, why would we have tracked it all the way here?"

Zhao Wuji glanced at the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent. There were indeed two wounds on its lower abdomen, but if they thought they could take this Spirit Ring from Immovable Bright King Zhao Wuji with that alone, they were dreaming.

Zhao Wuji sneered. "May I ask your name, Senior?"

The old woman replied calmly, "This old woman is Chao Tianxiang. Friends in the Spirit Master world have been kind enough to give me the title 'Snake Woman.' My husband is Meng Shu, known as the 'Dragon Duke.'"